Manufacture of tennis nets



July 7, 1931* R. c. WEBSTER MANUFACTURE OF TENNIS NETS Filed Aug. 2l, 1950 KV lf: r. IN C k,Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT C. WEBSTER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T' W. & J'. KNOX NET AND TWINE COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF NEVI JERSEY MAN UFACTURE OF TENNIS NETS Application led August 21, 1930. Serial No. 476,889.

Tennis nets are now made with the net proper tarred and the top fabric band untarred or white, the object being in part to increase the wear and durability 0f the part of the net which is most subject to wear and deterioration-to wit, the net properand in part to produce a color-contrast between the net proper and the band, and also the ball, which is helpful to the player. rIhe ,10 band is usually a strip of duck folded longitudinally so as to give it in effect a tubular `form to lreceive the cable by which the net is suspended and having its lengthwise edges stitched to the net proper with the latter between its plies. If the entire net were tarred the net proper and the band could Vfirst be stitched together and then the tarring done. When, however, the net properv is to be tarred and the band left plain to give the color-contrast the tarring of the former is rst done and then the band is stitched in place. But it is found that in this operation the stitching needle frequently breaks or cuts the strands of the net proper where it happens to puncture them, as it does not do when the net proper is untarred, evidently because the tarring stiffens the fibers so that they readily give way under the puncturing -action of the needle. The product is therefore an imperfect net in which some of the strands are in fact detached. Moreover, its imperfections in this respect are obscured, because the disrupted or perhaps merely weakened points of the f strands 0f the net proper are hidden between the plies of the band, and will not become evident until the net has seen some service. The object of this invention is to avoid the production of nets malformed in 40 the respect thus indicated.

According to this invention a net proper is first formed by stitching to the margin of a netted fabric a band of woven or other close-mesh fabric adapted to be punctured 45 by the stitching needle without material weakening thereof, even though it is later `tarred and some of its own strands will perhaps be disrupted or weakened by the needle, and also suitable in point of strength and durability to reinforce the net proper and plies both stitched thereto.

serve in the suspension thereof; then this assembly is tarred or coated with some equiv alent viscous substance that both protects it and serves in the production of the desired color-contrast; and finally to the first band and clear of the strands of the netted fabric (as exterior of the marking thereof) is stitched another band of woven or other close-mesh fabric which is durable and adapted to withstand the wear at the top of the net and thus reinforces it, and which serves also in the production of such colorcontrast. This latter band preferably is left untreated by the tar or equivalent, or white, so as to produce said color-contrast between it and the netted fabric; but, whether it is or not, it in any event of course contributes greatly to make the top margin of the net stronger and more durableV and by assembling the netted fabric and first band before tarring and then stitching the second band to the rst after tarring and clear of the strands, both bands being of close-meshffabric, I produce a net in which there can be no disruption or weakeningat the vital points indicated and due to the action of the stitching needle. i

In the preferred construction each band is a strip folded lengthwise thereof, the first band receiving in its fold and having its two plies both stitched to the edge of the netted fabric and the second receiving in its fold the first band and having its two The invention is presented herein in two forms, one in which the fold of the first band receives the cable by which the net is suspended and the other in which the fold of the second band receives alone this cable.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figs. land 2 show the first form, together with the cablein elevation and` vertical section, respectively Fig. 2 being on a larger scale than Fig. l; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of the other form and cable.

In Figs. l and 2, l is a netted fabric formed of cord strands 2 in the usual manner. It may be bound in any way by suitable material 3 along one long side of the net (which is to form its bottom edge) and its two short or vertical sides. It also has stitched thereto along the other long or top side thereof a band 4. This band 4 is formed of close-mesh fabric, as duck, and it is preferably a strip folded lengthwise. The assembly comprising the nette-d fabric and this band and the binding 3 is to be coated with tar or equivalent viscous substance, but the band 4 is stitched to the netted fabric before this is done, whereby as pointed out the strandsV 2 will not be disrupted or weakened by the stitching needle. and preferably in any form, this band 4 is a strip folded lengthwise and vmade to receive in its fold the top edge of the'netted fabric, whereupon the stitching is effected along a line or lines 5 traversing both of and thus uniting them. Thereupon this assembly is tarred .or treated with an equivalent viscous substance having a vdistinct color.

Then a band 6, also of close-mesh fabric, as duck, is stitched to the band 4, as along the line or lines 7, to wit clear of the strands of the netted fabric and here exterior of the margin of the latter iso' as not to disrupt or weaken such strands. This "is also a strip preferably folded lengthwise and it is made to receive in its fold the top edge of the band 4.

The result is a net in which the netted fabric is coated with a protective viscous substance and is strengthened and reinforced by the additional band (6); and if' this band is left white, or untreated with the viscous substance, it will present a colercontrast with the netted fabric treated as aforesaid with said substance. Moreover, in the process of forming the net the disrupting or weakening thereof at the vital points, to wit, of any strands of the netted fabric, has been avoided because the stitching in the first instance occurred before the application of the viscous substance and in the second it was effected clear of such strands.

In this form the folding of the strips 'for the two brands is effected so that each of them is left tubular,whereby the cable 8 by which the net'is suspended may be extended through the tube of the band 4.

The construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is the same as that of Figs. land 2 eX- cepting that the band 4 is not formed tubular but is creased flat to produce a welt 4a and it is to this welt that the edges of the band 6, receiving the welt between them, are stitched; in this case the tube of band 6 receives the cable, alone, whereas in Figs. 1 and 2 both receive the cable and since band 6 snugly receives b and 4 in its fold the weight of the net is jointly sustained by them.

In the form now being described,V

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:

l. The hereindescribed method consisting in stitching to the margin of a netted fabric a selvage-forming band o f close-mesh fabric, treating the thus selvaged netted fabric with a viscous substance, and stitching to said band clear of the strands of the thus treated netted fabric another and rrein-forcing band of close mesh fabric.

2. The hereindescribed method consisting in stitching tothe margin of a netted fabric a selvage-forming band of close-mesh fabric. treating the Ythusselvaged netted fabric with a. viscous substance, and stitching to said band exterior of the margin of the thus treated netted fabric another and reinforcing band of close-mesh fabric.

3. The hereindescribed method consisting in stitching to the margin of a netted fabric a selvage-forming band of close-mesh fabric, treating the thus selvaged netted fabric with a viscous substance of a given color, and stitching to said band clear of the strands of the thusl treated netted fabric another and reinforcing band of close-mesh fabric of a color contrasting with that of the viscous substance.

4. A net of the class described comprising a netted fabric having a selvage-forming band of close-mesh fabric stitched to a margin thereof, the thus-selvaged fabric being treated with a viscous substance, and a reinforcing band of close-mesh fabric stitched to the first band at points clear of the strands of the netted fabric.

5. A net of the class described comprising aV netted fabric having a sel-vage-forming band of close-mesh fabric stitched to a margin thereof, the thus-selvaged fabric being treated with a viscous substance and a reinforcing band of close-mesh fabric stitched to the first band at points exterior' of the margin of the netted fabric.

6. A net of the class described comprising a netted fabric having a selvage-forming band of close-mesh fabric stitched to a Inargin thereof, the thus-selvaged fabric being treated with a viscous subst-ance of a given color, and a reinforcing bandl of close-'mesh fabric stitched to the first band at points clear of the strands of the netted fabric and being of a color contrasting withthat of the viscous substance.

7. A net of the class described comprising a netted fabric having a selvage-forming band of close-mesh fabric stitched to a margin thereof, the thus-selvaged fabric being treated with a viscous substance, and a strip folded lengthwise and receiving in its fold said band and having its two plies formed by the fold stitched thereto at points clear of the strands of the. netted fabric.

8. A net of the class described comprising a netted fabric having a longitudinally folded strip of close-mesh fabric receiving in its fold and stitched as to both its plies to said fabric and thus forming a selvage thereon, the thus-selvaged fabric being treated With a viscous substance, and a longitudinally folded strip of close-mesh fabric receiving in its fold and stitched as to both its plies to the first strip at points clear of the strands of the netted fabric.

9. A net of the class described comprising a netted fabric having a longitudinally folded strip of close-mesh fabric receiving in its fold and stitched as to both its plies to said fabric and forming a tubular selvage thereon, the thus-selvaged fabric being treated With a viscous substance, and a longitudinally folded strip of close-mesh fabric snugly receiving in its fold and stitched as to both its plies to the first strip at points clear of the strands of the netted fabric.

l0. A net of the class described comprising a netted fabric having a longitudinally folded strip of close-mesh fabric receiving in its fold and stitched as to both its plies to said fabric and forming a projecting Welt thereon, the thus-Welted fabric being treated with a viscous substance, and a longitudinally folded strip of close-mesh fabric snugly receiving in its fold and stitched as to both its plies to said Welt.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

ROBERT C. WEBSTER. 

